plays as possible, selecting works of Gerhart Hauptmann, Paul Helwig and Mozart for the 1941/1942 season. As both the National Theatre building at the square, and the Manjež stage, were damaged, the performances were held in the building of the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment. However, keeping the appearances of normal cultural life turned to be a tenuous situation for Popović, as the theatre was disastrously understaffed. Out of the pre-war employees, five were killed in the bombing, six were sent to camps, seven were dismissed for being Jews, Romanies and Freemasons, while numerous actors refused to work forming independent acting troops. Still, Popović systematically promoted Germanism, including special shows for Germans only, and introduction of German performers, like the chief conductor, Oswald Buchholz. German military area commander for Belgrade, Oberst Ernst Moritz von Kaisenberg, ordered German soldiers to participate in the reconstruction and the reconstruction was finished in June 1942. German administration effectively managed the theatre, forcing the quisling government to create its own theatres for propaganda purposes, like Srbozor Theatre in the Nemanjina Street. The building was again enlarged and another annex was added adjoining the lower side of the edifice. This way, the monumental, symmetrical building, as it appeared in 1922, completely lost its architectural harmony. The reconstruction plans during the war were drafted by architect Gojko Todić and later by his colleague Dragan Gudović. Company of another architect, Milan Sekulić, was the general contractor. The building was also hit during the heavy "Easter Bombing" of Belgrade by the Allies on 16 April 1944. Post-war period After the 1964-1965 season ended, another reconstruction began, based on the plan of the architect Nikola Šercer. It included minor refurbishments of the Main Stage. In 1986, the National Theatre and the City of Belgrade opted for the new, necessary and detailed reconstruction of the, by now, almost completely unusable venue. The main architects who headed the project were Ljubomir Zdravković and Slobodan Drinjaković. The interior was designed by Milan Pališaški, façade and ornamental plastic was done by Branka Bremec, Dimitrije Ivančević and Zoran Badnjević, while the engineer Milenko Popović was entrusted with solving the problem with statics. The reconstruction lasted for 3 years and cost $4,5 million. The building was reopened in 1989, 120 years since it became operational. The building was fully reconstructed while the new annex was built in the direction of the Braće Jugovića Street, doubling the floor